


do you believe in magic?

by baeksoolatte



Category: EXO (Band), SM the Ballad
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-14
Updated: 2015-02-14
Packaged: 2019-02-22 15:20:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13169688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baeksoolatte/pseuds/baeksoolatte
Summary: liyin has been brewing and consuming a mysterious potion that makes her even more beautiful... at least that's what jongdae claims.





	do you believe in magic?

**Author's Note:**

> warnings: cheap fluff, poor writing, mentions of sherlock and ghostbusters and serendipity, jongdae is a half-blood who is more intact with the muggle world and baekhyun is a muggle-born.
> 
>  
> 
> written for exolliarmus round 1. (http://hp-exolliarmus.livejournal.com/2502.html)

There is something different with this academic year for Jongdae. He thinks that there is something so striking, boggling and even bizarre as to what this year has presented him even if it has only been two days since school started. Hogwarts just feels so different.  
  
Maybe it's because of the change of the castle's drapes from mahogany brown to deep purple. Maybe it's because of the newly hanged paintings in the common rooms. Maybe this foreign feeling of uneasiness is because of some new faces, the new first years in Gryffindor, or maybe a lot of people just look way different from how they did last summer.  
  
And in that subject, a lot of people do look different now. Sehun, a third year who is Jongdae's junior had gotten taller (although Sehun had  _always_  been taller than Jongdae). Minseok, a fifth year Ravenclaw prefect and seeker slash Jongdae's little sister Yoojung's crush, lost weight (which according to his sister is  _"quite okay but she prefer's Minseok with his extremely chubby cheeks but she doesn't really care because Minseok is still adorable and she still likes Minseok"_  and Jongdae does not pay attention to Yoojung's incessant babbling). Baekhyun, Jongdae's best friend, was now going out with the doe-eyed, almost heartless boy from Slytherin, Kyungsoo. There has been a change in everybody and Jongdae is aware of it.  
  
He feels the new environment move around him but what bothers him the most is how Zhang Liyin; sister of Hufflepuff seeker Zhang Yixing slash Ravenclaw fifth year, head girl and chaser slash Hogwarts Batch 2019 topnotcher; looks  _extremely different in a physical way_ , almost unnoticeable from how she looked before the summer break.  
  
Jongdae has his speculations. He has noticed these obvious quirks in Liyin ever since the past Summer and he admits that her looks changed for the better although she has always been a beautiful girl. Jongdae thinks Liyin's new look is not from, as how muggles refer to it, cosmetic surgery. Of course not since Liyin is a pure-blood. And knowing Liyin's ancestry and blood make up, Jongdae concludes one thing: Liyin's new look is definitely caused by magic as magic can do absolutely anything and everything.  
  
Particularly,  _potions_.  
  
  
  
  
  


\-- ★ --

  
  
  
  
{Jongdae calls up his parents to say that only Yoojung will be the one coming home that Summer. Jongdae decides to stay in Hogwarts during the vacation because he needs to further polish his Quidditch skills. Gryffindor has lost the past season to Ravenclaw and as Gryffindor's Beater and  _future team captain_ , he wants to claim back their place in the Quidditch scene. Jongdae practices eight hours a day from one in the afternoon till nine at night. He works his limbs off, swims in his own sweat yet feels relieved and contented with his hardwork. It is not just only him who chose to ditch their long awaited vacation in exchange for Quidditch practices. Almost half of the team do and Jongdae is happy with that.  
  
Twas one, not so fine and scorching hot summer day when Jongdae has adjusted his Quidditch practice schedule from one till nine to four till ten. He cuts off his hours for two reasons: (1) it is freaking burning outside that he might end up toasted or worse, fried and (2) the school grounds are off-limits from ten at night till three in the morning. With practice being cut short and rescheduled, Jongdae finds himself in a mountain of week-long unwashed clothes (which he had no intention of washing then). Jongdae sighs and off he goes to the school's laundry room, near the Hufflepuff dormitories with his arms embracing a big basket of unpleasant smelling clothes.  
  
_That is when Jongdae first sees Liyin enter the Potions lab._  
  
Jongdae gets to the laundry room, takes a big empty basin by the cupboard and fills it with water. He scorns to the idea of the entire magical world not knowing and having washing machines (and thought that he should have gone home instead) and weeps to the realization that most of the castle's staff members are also having their vacation.  
  
It takes Jongdae an hour to finish all his laundry -- how he does it in a small amount of time, he does not know why.  
  
Actually, he does. Baekhyun's eccentric yet amazing father has taught Jongdae a spell that lets Jongdae sit and stare while inanimate objects do his laundry.  
  
Jongdae walks back to the Gryffindor common room with a big fat basket of clean and floral smelling clothes (also dried, pressed and folded) on his hands. He carries the container the way he did last time, in front of his face, blocking his view and increasing his chances to hurt people in his way and even himself.  
  
Jongdae is proven right. He flops onto the floor upon bumping on something  _or someone_  accidentally. The basket is hoisted up into the air and it almost tumbles down on Jongdae. His freshly pressed and folded clothes nearly touches the dusty grounds of the corridor when he hears a loud feminine voice cast a spell. Jongdae sees his clothes' lifesaver and damn, she was beautiful.  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
Jongdae looks up only to see a beautiful smile greet him. White teeth on display, rosy pink lips curved into a perfect smile. Jongdae could not help but be astonished with the beauty in front of him. The girl extends her hand, offering Jongdae a hand to help him up. Jongdae accepts and feels blood rush up to his cheeks.  
  
"Thank you," Jongdae says. He gives her back a sincere smile, a smile of thanks and Jongdae is mesmerized when she giggled in front of him.  
  
"Be careful next time. I'm Liyin, by the way." Liyin shakes Jongdae's hand lightly and she almost lets go when Jongdae holds onto it quite tight.  
  
"I'm Jongdae. We've been classmates in Intermediate Potions 2 last time."  
  
Liyin bids Jongdae goodbye with a small angelic smile on her face and Jongdae continues to look at her figure retreating away. Jongdae takes his basket, raising it from the ground and holds it once again. Jongdae turns to the left only to see the Potions lab empty, a newly washed couldron at one side of the room and he gets to one conclusion: Liyin was the girl whom he saw entering the lab earlier. And she looks way different from how she looked when he saw her earlier.  
  
Like Sherlock Holmes (Jongdae's favorite fictional character), he snoops around and deduces from his observation. The Potions lab smells funny. Jongdae is no Potions expert but he does get high grades on the certain subject. Some ingredients were so familiar to Jongdae yet he has never encountered the use of them in one potion, one concoction. He throws the thought aside. Not that Jongdae thinks magic can solve everything even if it does.  _He needs to give Liyin the benefit of the doubt._ And she does not look that bad to be brewing some weird smelling potion, anyway.  
  
Jongdae revisits his set aside conclusion, only to pick it up and hold onto it for good. His speculations gets supported by facts, observations he has accumulated on his own. He sees Liyin visit the Potions lab the same time for the entire Summer and every time she gets out, Jongdae swears that she gets even more physically beautiful if that was possible. At one instance, Jongdae passes by Liyin in the library. She has been reading up on a how-to book. _How to Create Your Own Potion._  Seeing that she has dozed off, Jongdae manages to get a glimpse of the book's chapter title:  _Potions to Help Enhance or Alter Physical Aspects_.  
  
Jongdae is not stalking, Liyin. In his defense, the girl has been doing odd stuff the past month and he just can't help but be curious with her suspicious actions and their redefining results. Jongdae's observations lean even more toward the 'fishy' side of his suspicion meter when he sees her drink something from a bizarre looking translucent flask. There are less than twenty people in the Great Hall during the summer. Jongdae's little Sherlock adventure happens with complete discreetness. Jongdae does not see the color of the liquid she has been taking in after finishing her meals but he knows it is the foreign-smelling, a little musky, potion she has been brewing.}  
  
  
  
  
  


\-- ★ --

  
  
  
  
Jongdae is running late because he wakes up fifteen minutes before his first class starts. Jongdae does not even bother taking a bath or eating breakfast. He just hastily locks himself inside the common room bathroom to wash up, splatter some water on his good-looking face and brush his teeth until they scream pearly white. He changes his clothes from his Sherlock-printed pajama set to his Gryffindor uniform and dashes his way out of the common rooms giving him five minutes to get to his Divination class which is on the other side of the school.  
  
Jongdae runs. He sprints as he goes pass the halls not minding people whom he have bumped. He is running late and apologies would take a few seconds out of his precious time.  _But Jongdae is not a bad person so he apologizes, in his mind, to the people he has disturbed._  Jongdae gets to class five minutes late.  
  
His professor welcomes him with a smile. Jongdae thinks that he is quite lucky that his professor is not screaming at him right now.  
  
"I'm Professor Jessica Trelawney and by the looks of it, you're in your fourth year. Am I right, Mr..."  
  
"Kim. Kim Jongdae," Jongdae manages to say while catching his breath. His early morning exercise is now ticked off of his daily morning routines.  
  
Professor Trelawney who is apparently  _the_  Sybill Trelawney's great great great great granddaughter tells Jongdae to find his seat before she continues to the class' first lesson in Divination: Divination, an Introduction. Jongdae's mind is split into two: listening to Professor Jess (as what the teacher has told him to call her) and looking for an empty seat in the classroom. The Divination classroom is average sized but it is packed with students because of its unusual arrangement. It takes Jongdae roughly five minutes of fitting himself through the spaces between desks and chairs only to find an empty seat in the middle of the classroom.  _Not that everyone has been staring at Jongdae as he bothers the hell out of them by moving through places a lot._  He reaches for the chair and pulls it before he sits down. He places his books on the floor, leaving a scroll and a quill for notetaking and adjusts himself in the discussion of Professor Trelawney.  
  
"Please be reminded that your seat today is your permanent seat for the rest of the term. We'll be exploring the glorious world of Divination with each other so it helps to be acquainted and not hate your seatmate who will also be your partner," Professor Trelawney announces out loud making Jongdae turn his head and look at his seatmate slash partner for the rest of the term.  _Fifth year Zhang Liyin._  
  
"Oh. Hi there, Jongdae." The girl curtly smiles at Jongdae, her eyes glistening under the hints of sunlight that pass through the room's window blinds.   
  
Jongdae ends up staring. Liyin has gotten more beautiful. He does not know how this is humanly possible but is taken aback with the conclusion that magic can do anything.  
  
"Hi," Jongdae meekly says.  
  
"Looks like we'll be partners for the entire term!"  
  
There's an enthusiastic shine in Liyin as seen in her face. Jongdae courteously smiles back. He feels a sudden rush of plasma inside his veins and tries his hardest to control them from appearing on his face.  
  
  
  
Jongdae has Defense Against the Dark Arts with Baekhyun and Kyungsoo as his next class. The class after that is Jongdae's least favorite subject (because it does not thrill him at all) Study of Ancient Runes. Jongdae enters the class five minutes early to his luck and takes a seat at the second row rightmost side of the room.  
  
Their professor, Professor Ryeowook Kim (as written on the chalkboard) is handing out scrolls that contain their course syllabus. The class starts with roughly twenty students in the class and the seat beside Jongdae empty.  
  
"Sorry I'm late, Professor Kim!"  
  
The entire class shifts their head to the owner of the voice who is panting by the door. Jongdae's eyes widen.  
  
"Liyin. Take a seat. It's alright."  
  
It is Liyin again. Jongdae thinks. He and she are classmates again. Jongdae is not complaining though. Liyin is smart and she seems to be a good person but she bothers Jongdae becuase she just looks so damn beautiful and  _thatshedrinkspotionstobebeautiful._    
  
Jongdae's eyes follow Liyin as she enters the room and walks toward the empty seat beside Minseok. Jongdae feels his heart clench a little and this is maybe because he has eaten a lot of beef slices earlier during lunch time. Liyin takes her seat beside her co-Ravenclaw Kim Minseok who is sitting in front of Jongdae. She and Minseok share a few words and giggles before Jongdae finds himself in an awkward situation of staring at Liyin's face.  
  
"It's you again, Jongdae. Hi."  
  
Jongdae chokes on his own spit. "H... hi."  
  
  
  
Jongdae's next class is Ghoul Studies, an elective higher years can take and he enrolls in it this semester because he thinks that the subject is cool.  
  
{"It's the magic world version of Ghostbusters, dude!" Jongdae bombards Baekhyun as the latter is writing his final paper for Charms.  
  
Baekhyun just nods. Baekhyun is muggle-born which is why he knows what Jongdae is babbling about. But right now, it is evident in Baekhyun's expressions that he cannot fanboy over the most epic movie of all-time.  
  
"I know, dude but I need to finish this stupid paper for Charms. I don't even get it why we need to write this. But yes, Ghoul Studies is Ghostbusters."}  
  
Jongdae spots Liyin walking a few paces ahead of him. He calls her name as if its honey dripping from his lips and the girl, with all that movie-like scenario, answers to Jongdae's calling.  
  
"What's your next class?" Jongdae lets the question slip from his mouth. His hands are slightly trembling although it is not that obvious.  _Is the potion affecting people who interact with her?_  
  
"Ghoul Studies. You?"  
  
Jongdae is amazed, really. The school's registrar's section is one amazing pot. It has only been three in the afternoon and he has already shared three classes with Liyin.  
  
"Same."  
  
"Cool."  
  
Jongdae and Liyin walk side by side to their Ghoul Studies classroom. Both of them do not utter any words to each other. Jongdae would sometimes glance at Liyin who has her books clutched to her chest and her lips pursed into a line as she walks silently, her eyes travelling around the castle halls. Jongdae gets curious on what Liyin is thinking but he does not ask her. The awkwardness should be as it is.  
  
  
  
Jongdae is off strolling the castle's halls for his last class for the day.  _Advanced Potions._  Jongdae takes his time to get to his classroom because (thank the heavens) Professor Lee Jinki, his Advanced Charms professor, has dismissed the class thirty minutes prior the expected dismissal time. He reaches the door of the Potions lab fifteen minutes earlier, bows his head as a greeting to his professor and stands by the nearest cauldron in his sight.  
  
Jongdae settles his things by the shelf behind him and pulls a stool, sitting down as he waits for more students to fill the almost empty laboratory. One by one, students enter the Potions lab. Jongdae's mouth widens in shock, his jaw rigid when he sees Liyin once again, the fourth time that day.  _The school registrar is to be blamed._  
  
The school bell rings and classes start. Liyin stands beside a Slytherin fourth year, Krystal Jung who is rumored to be Liyin's brother Zhang Yixing's girlfriend. They exchange a few smiles and converse softly as Professor Lau explains the mandatory "things to remember" and "Potions lab dos and don'ts".  
  
Jongdae is clueless on why he is even looking at Liyin right now when he could just share a talk and stare at his quite disgusting cauldron-mate who-knows-what's-his-name. Plus, Jongdae is not that rude enough to disturb who-knows-what's-his-name from picking some remnant of his lunch stuck in between his molars.  
  
So yes. Jongdae decides to just observe Liyin whose ethereal glow could be blinding every person in the room.  
  
"Everybody stand here in front," Professor Lau says out loud, his voice causing the students to ensue a mini chaos in the laboratory. They all move towards the platform in front and stand still, small talks and soft gossips shared between friends and acquaintances. Professor Lau calls up two names, telling that they will be partners for the entire semester, and pausing before calling another pair.  
  
"Weasley and Bae Joohyun."  
  
"Parkinson, Portia and Black."  
  
"Bae Suzy and Martins."  
  
"Yamaguchi and Yeung."  
  
"Garcia and Patil."  
  
"Jung, Krystal and Wang."  
  
"Longbottom," Jongdae makes an 'oh' face so that's what who-knows-what's-his-name's name is, "and," Jongdae hopes that it's not him, "Park."  
  
Jongdae breathes a sigh of relief. There are six people left standing on the platform: Lee Taemin, Jung Yonghwa, Aurora Parkinson, Rachel Summers, Kim Jongdae and Zhang Liyin.  
  
Jongdae does not hope that he and Liyin will be partners. But he does not deny the 16.67% probability thay the two of them may be partners. Not that he wants to since Taemin and him are good... acquaintances.  
  
"Jung Yonghwa and Summers."  
  
There are four left and Jongdae, using his peripheral vision, notices Liyin laughing at fifth year Hufflepuff's Aurora Parkinson's stories. Liyin looks even lovelier and Jongdae is sceptically convinced of the potion's and of course, Liyin's capabilities.  
  
"Zhang," the professor calls out Liyin's name snapping her out of the mini conversation she has with Aurora. She stands behind the leftmost cauldron in the room, third row at the back and Jongdae holds his breath as she takes her walk. Her robe follows the way her body scoots over, shyly and quickly. Jongdae smiles to himself.  
  
"Kim. Kim. Kim!" Professor Lau almost screams at the last syllable. Jongdae is snapped out of his whimsical daydream. His curved lips suddenly shifts into a thin line and the class laughs. Liyin laughs at him as well and Jongdae's cheeks is hotter than usual.  
  
Jongdae hangs his head low not looking at his classmates and walks to his assigned cauldron. He stands beside the glory of the fifth year Ravenclaw with beauty and brains, Zhang Liyin.  
  
"It's you again." Liyin kids around, her smile is wider than what Jongdae has seen before. Jongdae finds her beautiful.  
  
  
  
  
  


\-- ★ --

  
  
  
  
"This is fate! This is fate acting on you, guys? Don't you see it? Can't you see it, Jongdae? The two of you are meant to be!" Baekhyun tells Jongdae out loud, the boy's voice ringing inside their room. Jongdae looks at Baekhyun blankly in the eyes not knowing what to say in return. Jongdae watches a lot of muggle romance movies but he is not that keen on believing in fate or destiny.  
  
"Shut up, Baekhyun. You're too noisy."  
  
Jongdae laughs upon hearing Kyungsoo's snarky remark. Kyungsoo has yet again silenced Baekhyun and to that, Jongdae is thankful.  
  
"But yes, Jongdae, I think there is something going on here. Ask the stars or what not but I'm pretty sure Trelawney has an answer to that 'fate' of Baekhyun's."  
  
"Are you guys insisting that this is planned by the heavens? Written in the stars? And all that 'Serendipity' cliché?" Jongdae mocks earning a hard hit on the back of his head from Baekhyun.  
  
"Serendipity is a good film. John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale look good together," Baekhyun comments and Kyungsoo laughs.  
  
"Are you guys even proposing that I like her? That I like THE Zhang Liyin? Whose beauty may or may not come from the potions she secretly brews?"  
  
"We never said you liked her or that she's that beautiful," Baekhyun wriggles his eyebrows at Jongdae's then quizically looking face,"I mean she is beautiful... for a girl but you're the only one here who goes on and on with how beautiful she looked in class and how her hair is always in place, that her smile cures cancer or whatever sappy emotional love thing there is," Baekhyun finishes. He catches his breath. His boyfriend, Kyungsoo, nods in agreement.  
  
Jongdae continues to stare and might even be convinced but shakes his head in disbelief and scoffs a big 'no'.  _Jongdae does not like Zhang Liyin... no matter how perfect she is... inside and out._  
  
  
  
  
  


\-- ★ --

  
  
  
Jongdae goes with Baekhyun and Kyungsoo to Hogsmeade. The couple's plan to go on a Saturday night date ends up as a trio hang out with Jongdae tagging along. Not that Baekhyun and Kyungsoo mind (they do a little). Jongdae walks behind the two males inhaling the cold breeze and exhaling. It is one of those moments when Jongdae feels he is the third wheel in any pairing. Technically, he is the third wheel in this one -- barging in his friends' date and taking his single and lonely aura with them.  
  
Baekhyun and Kyungsoo apparently cancel their dinner plans at Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop when Jongdae decides to join them. As Jongdae's best friends, they opt to reschedule their date some other Saturday night.  
  
When Jongdae learns about this, he gives a lengthy sermon on how his friends should not cancel their date for him and that the three of them can have dinner at the infamous couple dating spot, Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop. The plan is back on.  
  
They get to Puddifoot's five minutes before six. The place is filled with couples sitting beside each other or across each other, googling their eyes at each other, enjoying the company of each other. Couple stuff. Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop does uphold its mission to serve and cater couples.  
  
Jongdae swears that he felt all eyes on the three of them when they entered the shop. It is as if it is a big sin to come in threes... with Jongdae being 'three' in the couple.  
  
They sit down somewhere in the middle of the shop. An attendant goes up to them and hands them the menu. They give their orders, the same drill like in other restaurants.  
  
Jongdae receives his milkshake half an hour after Baekhyun and Kyungsoo receive their  _butterbeer couple milkshakes bundle_. Everything in this shop came in pairs and Jongdae can't feel even more alone and unwelcomed.  
  
"You should bring Liyin to this place. She'd love this." Baekhyun teasingly smiles at Jongdae, pushing his friend's 'stop teasing me to Liyin' button to its extent.  
  
"How many times do I have to say that I do not like her?"  
  
"Speaking of the Ravenclaw angel..." Kyungsoo trails cutting off Baekhyun and Jongdae's mini Liyin talk.   
  
Jongdae turns to the shop's door only to find Liyin, in casual autumn wear --a white polo shirt topped with a navy blue sweater, denim jeans, brown leather boots, a blue Ravenclaw beanie on her head, the Ravenclaw scarf around her neck and a light brown wool coat to cover her entirety from the chilly weather. She goes inside alone and pulls a chair from a table for two. She sits down and tells the approaching attendant for some drink which Jongdae does not clearly here. He watches her rub her hands together, creating heat and pat them on her cheeks. She looks lovely.  
  
"I told you he likes her!"  
  
Jongdae's attention shifts from beautiful Liyin to annoying bestfriend Baekhyun.  
  
"It's pretty obvious, sweetheart. No need to push our Jongdae's buttons," Kyungsoo replies. Baekhyun does not stop and yet continues to provoke Jongdae into killing him, Byun Baekhyun.  
  
But Jongdae doesn't kill Baekhyun. Instead, Jongdae just focuses on the angel sitting four tables from the table his sitting at and sighs. Jongdae snaps when he finds himself sighing while looking at Liyin.  
  
Maybe he likes her. Only a little bit. Not much. A little bit.  
  
"She's here alone. Why don't you keep her company?" Kyungsoo suggests before sipping his milkshake. Baekhyun agrees.  
  
"I don't like her that much. Okay. Maybe, I do like her. Just a little but not much."  
  
Jongdae stands from his seat and walks towards the girl's table. He stops when she spots him and he loses control of hi,self when she smiles at him. Jongdae trips on his own feet but luckily holds onto one chair for support.  _Nice job. Now, you look like a complete ass._  Jongdae thinks to himself.  
  
He sees Liyin giggling in front of him as he collects himself to stand up properly.  
  
"Are you okay?" Liyin asks, the look of concern evident in her eyes and Jongdae just nods.  
  
"I'd give you a 7.5 for that landing." Liyin faintly chuckles. Jongdae sheepishly smiles, mentally screaming at himself for looking stupid (as if he doesn't look stupid most of the time).  
  
"I guess I need to work for that 2.5 more?" Jongdae interjects and Liyin laughs at his snag remark. At least, he made her laugh.  
  
He waits until Liyin's laughter dies down before taking the seat in front of her.   
  
"Waiting for somebody?"  
  
"Well, yes. But... he's not here and I don't think he'd still come so maybe no."  
  
Jongdae smiles upon hearing the word 'no'. He does not know why but maybe because he's just happy that he gets to talk to her... outside their classes.  
  
They talk over Jongdae's butterbeer milkshake (which is too expensive as it costs 5 sickles less than the couple bundle) and Liyin's daisyfoot draught flavored cider. They talk about studies and Quidditch and muggle things which makes Jongdae astounded at her knowledge of the muggle world for he knows that Liyin is a pureblood.  
  
"I have a lot of muggle-born friends. Joohyun, Wendy and Miyoung are muggle-borns. Sometimes, I spend vacations at their homes with their families which is why I know a lot of muggle stuff. I think that gives a reason for you to shut your open mouth because it really looks unattractive for a girl." Liyin titters which makes Jongdae aware that he looks like a complete fool at that moment and instantly shuts his mouth closed.  
  
Jongdae mentally punches himself in the guts.  
  
Shy Jongdae is shy and Jongdae is never shy so it's quite new to him to feel so warm when he is in Liyin's presence as if she is a walking bonfire or something that makes Jongdae feel hot.  
  
"Well, we need to, uhm, get you laughing!" Jongdae scratches the back of his head, hiding from an invisible wall with the hopes that Liyin laughs at his lame remark.   
  
Luckily, she laughs for a few seconds.  
  
"You're really funny, Jongdae."  
  
"Looks like you found yourself some company." Jongdae hears a voice from behind him and he looks only to find Kim Minseok standing with a big smile plastered on the Ravenclaw's face.  
  
"I did. Jongdae's good in keeping me company. You do know each other right?" Liyin is now up from her seat as Minseok reaches to her for a quick embrace.   
  
"Yup. Gryffindor beater. Study of Ancient Runes. He's the kid sitting behind me," Minseok says when Liyin pulls away from the hug. Minseok extends his hand to Jongdae who is rising from his comfortable seating. Jongdae takes the other male's hand and shakes it.  
  
"He's not a kid, Minseok. He's a fourth year, only a year younger than us. Stop calling everyone younger than us 'kids'!" Liyin soflty hits Minseok's arm to which Minseok kiddingly twitches and cries in pain to.  
  
_Jongdae's heart clenches hard._  
  
"That's my cue. It was very nice to keep you company, Liyin ssi," Jongdae's lips smile at Liyin, "and also formally meeting you, Minseok ssi." Jongdae bows then takes his leave.  
  
Jongdae's hand reaches to his chest, feeling the pain of contractions he is experiencing.  
  
When he gets back to Baekhyun and Kyungsoo's table, Baekhyun immediately orders a platter of homemade potato chips and more butterbeer milkshakes.  
  
Jongdae's eyes are fixed on Liyin and Minseok who are seated in front of each other and engaged in, Jongdae presumes, an intellectual conversation.  
  
  
  
Jongdae mopes for the next couple of days while balancing his studies, Quidditch matches and practices and sorting out his feelings. Although the first exhausts his brain and the second tires his body, he can ultimately say that the last activity is the most strenuous of them all because it involves his heart. After all, the mind and the body are nothing without the heart even if it just anatomically pumps blood throughout the body, distributing oxygen and nutrients to keep the human being alive.   
  
Sorting out one's feelings has never been an easy task, especially to the indenial individual who fends off any possible theory of agreeing to what those feelings really are because he thinks that the feelings are not real and are just mere delusions he has. Jongdae is one of those types of man, the type to shoo away feelings even if he knows what they are, even if he knows his feelings for Liyin are growing inside of him. Jongdae is not good with feelings, particularly with the expression of them so he saves himself from the trouble of doing so.  
  
"Man, you like her. Just accept it and what you feel when you see her and Minseok together is called jealousy." Baekhyun continues on with his nightly sermons to Jongdae and how Jongdae should just stop whining and moping. ("I'm not the one whining here like a broken record, Baekhyun." Jongdae rebutts.)  
  
"Okay. Maybe, theoretically, I do like her more than I expected to and that well, theoretically, she makes the stars in my night sky shine. Of course, theoretically, this equates to me liking the heck out of her but we must not forget that if this kicks into reality, she did not, does not and will not like me back. Reciprocity cannot be forced!"  
  
"Goodness, Kyungsoo. Can you be the one to put some sense in this skinny pig's brain?" Baekhyun looks at Kyungsoo whose eyes just widen as a response.   
  
"Let our Jongdae sort his own feelings. He won't die because of that, not when he knows that the first Ravenclaw and Gryffindor match of the season is next week."  
  
  
  
  
  


\-- ★ --

  
  
  
  
The annual Hogwarts Christmas Ball is just around the corner and preparations are going on here and there. Everyone in the castle is in a buzz. Everyone is busy. Everyone has work to do whether it concerns the ball itself or their own personal preparations.  _Example: Finding a Date._  
  
Finding a date is easy for those who are in exclusive, almost exclusive, and still flirting but this may be serious relationships. Baekhyun has a date who is Kyungsoo. Sehun is obviously going with Jongin. Hufflepuff seeker aka Liyin's brother, Zhang Yixing and Krystal Jung have long been reported to be flirting are each other's date because they have surpassed the so-called flirting stage. Jongdae is pretty sure Liyin is going with Minseok so he ends up having the most disgusting date in the entire world, Kim Yoojung, his sister.  
  
  
  
"They say that Liyin is not attending the ball," Baekhyun whispers (in a not so whispery way) to Jongdae who is sitting beside him.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"You like Liyin?" Yoojung exclaims, asking Jongdae and her brother feels like he is under the spotlight.  
  
"Maybe. I think so," Jongdae says with a hint of uncertainty in his voice. He knows he is lying because maybe is not the appropriate word to use to answer a yes or no question -- especially if the answer to the said question is yes.  
  
"She's too good for you, brother. We all know how much you suck."  
  
"Now, Yoojung, do not dishearten the frog prince or else he will be stuck as a frog for good!" Baekhyun snarkily remarks, voice grating in Jongdae's ears.  
  
"Stop acting like a brat, Baekhyun." Kyungsoo glares at his boyfriend and Jongdae triumphantly smiles.  
  
Jongdae may be his sister's date but he does not really engage into the festivities the ball has to offer. Instead, he walks around the ballroom and sits by the humungous decorated staircase with his mind deep in thoughts.  
  
He observes the people dancing and socializing with each other. Jongdae feels a little distant and alone because he knows his cowardice and stubborness is getting in the way. Jongdae has never been the type to take that leap of faith.  
  
His thoughts come into a pause when he sees Minseok by the staircase, the male looking up as if there is someone going to descend. He sees the light reflecting in Minseok's eyes and Jongdae knows that the other is looking at something beautiful. Jongdae takes his stand and follows the male Ravenclaw's gaze until it rests on the angelic girl Jongdae has been waiting for all night.   
  
Liyin.  
  
Liyin, in the eyes of the other people in the ball, looks like the other girls but to Jongdae, she looks more than lovely, more than beautiful as if a level of beauty higher and greater than beautiful exists. The white strapless gown is elegant and sophisticated on her pale white skin. The waves of her hair lusciously fall into perfect place, framing her face and covering what may appear as too much skin by her collarbones.   
  
Jongdae's eyes go after the beautiful girl descending the grand staircase. He stops when she sees her arm hook with Minseok's and Jongdae's heart drowns into a pool of nothingness. He feels empty, discouraged and lifeless.  
  
Jongdae doesn't dance that night. He simply takes his dinner with his friends and his sister and watch people go to and fro the dancefloor. The music changes from time to time: pop to rock to electronic dance to slow. Jongdae once again finds himself looking for Liyin only to see Minseok holding her by the waist, their bodies in sync with the music.  
  
The inevitability of pain is constant and ever present. Jongdae is aware of this having read it in the book Perks of Being a Wallflower. Jongdae is aware that he, as a human being, can feel pain but he has never thought of pain as extreme as the one he is experiencing right now. His heart is burnt by the fire inside him, the fire is blazing and reaching its peak scorching Jongdae until it dies down and Jongdae is left in the ashes.  
  
Maybe, at least Jongdae thinks, this pain is caused of his lack of control when it comes to his feelings. He has let his sentimentality take power over his mind and that has created this struggle: to feel vs not to feel pain.  
  
Jongdae grabs his coat which has been hanging idly on the chair beside Baekhyun and calls it a night. He may be more of an extrovert than an introvert but the ball is not doing him any good.   
  
He does not see Liyin on his way out. He does not even bid Baekhyun and Kyungsoo goodbye. He just gets himself to leave and end the day with less pain that it can possibly cause.  
  
"You're leaving early?" Jongdae hears a familiar voice but he does not look back until he hears the sweet sounding voice once again.  
  
"I know you can hear me, Jongdae."  
  
And Jongdae looks at her, the divinely beautiful being standing in front of the unworthy him. He does not move, the space between them still remains at 25 paces.  
  
"Yeah. I was never a fan of balls," Jongdae replies, grasping onto his sanity and coollness.  
  
"I see. Well, goodbye and good night, Jongdae!" Liyin says out loud and waves at Jongdae like a little girl carefree and sincere. Jongdae beams a smile, his heart entering another series of contractions and yells back a 'good night'.  
  
  
  
  
  


\-- ★ --

  
  
  
  
Jongdae is a fervent believer of magic and knows that magic can solve everything which is why he strolls down to the Potions lab that day skipping his Quidditch rehearsals. It has been almost a week after the Christmas break concluded and three weeks or so since the Christmas Ball. Jongdae still feel the dull ache in his chest and wants to vomit it out in the less gruesome and disguting way possible. This is where Jongdae's devotion to magic comes in perfectly.  
  
Jongdae flips the pages of an Advanced Potions book until he finds the chapter  _Potions on Pain_. His eyes scan the pages of the chapter until he finds the subheading of  _Easing Pain_. However, Jongdae is dismayed when he learns that these pain potions only cater to physical pain, the easiest kind of pain to heal, and not emotional pain, the hardest one to deal with.  
  
Jongdae, referring to the book, tries to concoct a new potion that can provide the healing he needs. He readies the cauldron and heats it as he takes out ingredients in the Potions cabinet.  
  
One by one, he places familiar ingredients into the cauldron. He uses the ingredients of the potion that aims to heal the ailments of the heart. Jongdae decides to tweak the potion later when it brews so that it can cure the non-physical ailment of the heart.  _Jongdae's heart._  
  
Smoke escapes from the cauldron and an unpleasant smell arises. The cauldron is heated low which means that nothing is burning. Jongdae's fingers run through the pages of his Advanced Potions book looking for answers tohis current situation that there might be something wrong with the potion.  
  
"I think you need a hand."  
  
Jongdae hears a faint knock on the Potions lab door and the owner of the silvery voice makes her way in.  
  
"The potion is terrible. Goodness, Jongdae! What were you thinking?"  
  
Jongdae sees her take out her wand, whip it and recite a spell he has never heard off, killing the fire that has been heating the cauldron and sucking all the unpleasant smell that currently filled the laboratory. He just stares at her, bewildered and confused. His heart seems to think the same way as it pounds hard in his chest that if she comes closer to him (as if she will), she is going to hear the sound his heart makes every time he sees her.  
  
"So what potion were you brewing, Mr. I Want to Burn Hogwarts into Ashes?" Soft giggles leave Liyin's lips as she sits on a stool.  
  
"A potion that can cure a heartbreak. My heartbreak." Jongdae is amazed by the blunt and straightforward words he had just said. He moves towards Liyin, gets a stool and sits beside her.  
  
"No such potion exists which means you are trying to make it," Liyin says as if she is computing a problem in her mind, "you can try making one, Jongdae but it's too risky for you to test it on yourself."  
  
"If ever I do, the infirmary is there to take care of me," Jongdae chuckles almost breathlessly. Liyin frowns because Jongdae's joke is not a joke at all.  
  
"Magic can solve anything, Liyin."  
  
"It can only go so far. It can make you talk to and see the dead but it can never resurrect them, give them the life they have lost. We may be wizards Jongdae but we're not immortal. We're humans." Liyin gazes at Jongdae who is not looking at her.  
  
"It made you beautiful," Jongdae blurts and instinctly covers his mouth with what he had just said.  
  
"Not that you were not beautiful before. Made you even more beautiful!" Jongdae comes back and his face flushes in deep red.  
  
Liyin laughs while maintaining her composure. Hints of rosy pink are creeping up her cheeks.  
  
"Preposterous! I owe my new found glow to a muggle product called a BB cream. That's the only muggle product I know." Liyin continues to laugh at Jongdae's shyness and cluelessness.  
  
"Maybe, you were glowing because you were in love. I don't know. Maybe you were." Jongdae takes his time to look at Liyin who has been looking at him all this time. His eyes lie down on her eyelashes, then her glinting orbs, her nose, then her lips that then curved into a longing and welcoming warm smile.  
  
"In love? In love with whom?" She asks as if she does not know the answer to the question.  
  
"Minseok."  
  
Jongdae stares at Liyin and checks her reactions after the mention of Minseok's name. He sees Liyin raise an eyebrow at him, sceptical and confused.  
  
"What? Minseok? Really? I can't believe this." Liyin's reaction surprises Jongdae. He notices her laughing become harder and he finds it unbelievable that Liyin may not be in some relationship with Minseok... at all.  
  
"Of course not. Minseok, well, I'm not his type. We're really good friends because we almost grew up together. Yixing, Minseok and I were close ever since we were young and ever since Yixing and Krystal went out together, Minseok and I stuck with each other. You know how couples work."  
  
Jongdae lets out a sigh of relief. With Minseok out of the picture, Jongdae may have a little chance on Liyin.  
  
"That eases my pain a little. I guess I won't need to make a stronger potion than planned."  
  
Jongdae's response blows Liyin away. Her facial expressions change and Jongdae sees this. He does not know if she is happy or is disappointed with what she had just heard him say. He just hopes and prays that she is not disgusted by the thought of it.  
  
"You know," Liyin places her hand on Jongdae's shoulder, "you can't make a potion unknown and new to mankind just to throw that heartbreak away. You don't even resort to a potion or to magic just to make someone you love fall in love with you. Because this, the method of magic is not real. It's an illusion and you wouldn't want to fall in love with an illusion."  
  
"Jongdae, we may have the ability to conjure and to utter spells and do something incredible but remove all these things and what are we left with? Our humanity. We are humans, Jongdae. To love and be loved, one must use actions to make these worthwhile things happen. I know that love seems and appears to be a magical experience but it's not just something that resulted from magic. Love is as human as it can get. It's humanity that makes love real."  
  
Liyin's hand falls from Jongdae's shoulder and Jongdae sees her fiddle with her fingers, cheeks covered in a rosy pink hue after her intellectual yet emotional speech. Jongdae places his hand on his heart feeling the pounding on his chest. He gulps when she witnesses all this.  
  
"Will you go, and uhm," Jongdae stutters, "go... go... date... me?" Jongdae sighs. Speaking like a fool in front of Liyin does not really boost his confidence.  
  
"Sounds lovely. But can we not please go to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop because all the couple things scare me. The couple things are cute and all but they are just too much."  
  
"Sorry. I tend to talk a lot when I'm in front of the people I like." Liyin blushes and covers her face with her hands.  
  
Jongdae stands up from the stool he has been sitting on and offers his arm to Liyin which she takes.  
  
"I know it's weird but I really think Ghoul Studies is the coolest subject ever," Liyin manages to say as the two of them walk, their arms hooked onto each other, out of the Potions lab.  
  
"Not weird at all. I think it's the magic version of..."  
  
"Ghostbusters." Jongdae and Liyin hear themselves speak at the same time for the same reason. They both laugh at each other.  
  
As they walk, Jongdae can only think of one thing: magic cannot give us everything especially if it's something genuine which we desire because magic can only go so far and genuine things like love are as human as it can get.


End file.
